Opossum Birth & Rearing Habits

"Monkey fox" was the meaning of the original scientific name for opossum, according to the Western North Carolina Nature Center. Opossums are the only marsupial native to the North America. Marsupials are mammals that carry their young in a pouch. Other marsupials include kangaroos, koalas and sugar gliders.

  1. Folklore

    • For years people have believed an opossum copulated through her nose, then later sneezed into her pouch to place the newborns there, according to Western North Carolina Nature Center.

      The source of the folklore comes from the male's forked reproductive organ and the way a female will clean her pouch minutes before birth.

      In truth, the female opossum reproductive tract is split, and it leads to two uteruses. The forked reproductive organ ensures fertilization of both.

    Conception

    • Breeding season starts in December and goes through October. Ovulation occurs every 28 days or so, according to the Opossum Society of the United States. Thirty-six hours before ovulation, the female goes into heat. Once fertilization occurs, the eggs will move to uteri where they will develop for a short time. One to three litters a year are possible.

    Birth

    • Births are normally between February and June. After a short gestation period in the mother's uteri, about 11 to 13 days, up to 20 babies the size of dimes are born. The newborns leave the birth canal and climb up the fur of the abdomen to the pouch, according to the Opossum Society of the United States. The mother licks the fur leading to the pouch to make the infants' journey easier.

    Pouch Incubation

    • Once inside the pouch, the infant will latch onto a teat that will swell in its mouth to keep it attached. The teat functions as a placenta and provides the infant nutrients. The infant will stay attached to the teat for two months. According to the Opossum Society of the United States, most pouches have an average of only thirteen teats. Any infant that does not attach to a teat will die. They will finish their development in the pouch for two and half months.

    Rearing

    • Once the development is complete, the young will climb onto the back of the mother, where she will carry them as she hunts for food. The time on the mother's back teaches the young survival skills. If separated, a young opossum makes a sneezing noise to let the mother know where he is. In response, the mother makes a clicking sound.

      At three months the young are weaned, and by four to five months they are completely independent. The life expectancy of an opossum is only around a year, according to the Humane Society of the United States.